NZIFF Film Review: "Perfect Days" (2023).

From the director of Paris, Texas and Pope Francis: A Man of His Word comes Perfect Days. This apanese-German film directed by Wim Wenders, from a script written by Wenders and Takuma Takasaki. Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past. A deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us.

The film stars Kōji Yakusho, Tokio Emoto, Arisa Nakano, Aoi Yamada, Yumi Asō, Sayuri Ishikawa, Tomokazu Miura, and Min Tanaka. What could have been insufferable turns into a beautifully rendered portrait of people who find beauty and art in every day life, thanks to the performances. Yakusho gives a very quiet and soft-spoken, but emotive performance as the main character.

Wenders' approach is minimalist yet subtly robust. His structure resembles stanzas of a poem, and they are filled with relaxed easygoing rhythms that sweep you through from start to finish. A lovely, original, naturalistically paced dreamscape, this is a film where a toilet cleaner observes the mundane yet beautiful moments of life. The film contains an effortless quality that rolls off the screen; the viewer settles into a steady and exquisite demonstration of the filmmaker's control over his craft and the depth of his artistry. This is a sweet celebration of life's small joys and its oddity, and Yakusho is mesmerizing as a toilet cleaner. Apparently Wenders intended Hirayama to be an antidote to the modern action film and it's truly a welcome respite. It's an experiment, to be sure, and while I would call the experiment a success I'm not sure the end goal was one worth pursuing. Call this a slight recommendation. A movie about small things, the film is all about finding the beauty in simplicity and the little ways we're all creative. Almost nothing major happens. But that's the entire point. What makes the film such a wonderfully coherent and satisfying film is its cinematic conceit: we are seeing the world as it is perceived by the protagonist. The film may end up being one of the definitive films of our time, a careful character study of a man who takes pride in his work, kinda like Wenders himself. Much of the film's charm lies in its bustling sense of community, one filled with a refreshing diversity and a sense of cordiality that's often lacking in the modern day. Wenders celebrates the ordinary because let's face it, most artists are struggling working class members of society who have to "fit" their passions into everyday life. The filmmaker's choices and the film's subject's choices are so carefully weighted and so perfectly chosen that the universe of the film is one of deep and lasting meaning, and the character of Hirayama is unforgettable as portrayed by Yakusho.

Simon says Perfect Days receives:

Also, see my reviews for Pope Francis: A Man of His Word and La Chimera.